Ozone is a powerful oxidant and disinfectant that readily oxidizes organic pollutants, inorganic pollutants, and microorganisms. Ozone is form of oxygen that has three atoms per molecule rather than the two atoms normally found in oxygen. When the extra oxygen atom splits off from the ozone molecule, one of two things happen, disinfection or oxidation. As a disinfectant, these free oxygen atoms quickly destroy bacteria and other microorganisms that they contact. As an oxidant, the free oxygen molecule reacts with existing chemical compounds and yields more benign by-products.
Ozone occurs when an electrical charge molecularly disassociates a stable molecule (O2) and splits it apart leaving two unstable atoms of oxygen. Seeking stability, these atoms attach to other oxygen molecules creating ozone (O3).
Ozone occurs naturally in the atmosphere during lightning strikes and other electric discharge phenomena. Ozone can also be artificially generated by passing air through electric discharge fields. Another method for generating ozone is passing air through ultraviolet (UV) radiation generated by UV lamps. Specifically, ozone can be formed when air or an oxygen-containing gas is exposed to ultraviolet radiation generated in the range from about 100 nanometers to about 260 nanometers.
There are several shortcomings associated with generating ozone through UV lamps. The lifetime of a UV lamp is limited due to the volatile mercury vapor used in the lamp which causes the lamp performance to deteriorate over time. Moreover, the effective ozone generating range from a UV lamp is relatively small, thereby limiting the amount of ozone that can be generated. Finally, these lamps operate at extremely high temperatures which causes the ozone to deteriorate.
Because ozone is formed by the disassociation of oxygen molecules, it is unstable and has a relatively short lifetime. Therefore, to be effective as an oxidizer and disinfectant, the ozone should be immediately inserted into the gas or fluid pollutant stream. In the case of polluted fluids, however, high temperature mercury-vapor UV lamps cannot be placed in the fluid stream because they will burst upon contact with the fluid.
Accordingly, there exists a need for an ozone generator that can generate ozone reliably without deteriorating in performance and can also be placed “in situ” so that the ozone can be inserted into polluted fluids and gases for efficient oxidation and disinfection.